Grand Hotel rolls out bold, new steakhouse menu (photos, video)

Interview with the Grand Hotel's Chef Mike Wallace Chef Mike Wallace, executive chef at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Point Clear, tells why locals and visitors to Alabama's Gulf Coast should eat a meal or spend an evening at this famous retreat on Baldwin County's Eastern Shore.

POINT CLEAR, Alabama -- The Grand Hotel sits on what many people consider to be the most valuable spit of land south of, well, anywhere.

It offers panoramic views of Mobile Bay and some of the best sunsets in the world. Since the Civil War it has been the place for folks to go and get away from the perils and rigors of the world.

As if you needed a reason to visit the legendary hotel and spa just recently added something new: steaks.

They still offer the stunning array of seafood available at the popular Saltwater Grill, but you may now also enjoy a large offering of hand-cut, certified Angus or prime beef with the trappings of a high-end steak house.

The new menu was not what you would call a radical shift in philosophy or direction. It was more of a way of offering one more dining option at the historic hotel. From a practical standpoint it also reflects the efforts of the staff to give the public what it wants.

For Executive Chef Mike Wallace who designed and crafted the menu, the idea is pretty simple. "When you enter the dining room you can go right for seafood or left for steaks," he said.

The new steakhouse menu is available in the Grand Dining Room while across the hall in the Saltwater Grill seafood continues to reign supreme. It's only been up and running for a few weeks but already people are warming to the idea, Chef Wallace said. "They seem to like the flexibility," he added.

It is not a large menu but it is packed. For my money the centerpiece is an 8-ounce filet mignon or a 12-ounce ribeye. You may also enjoy rack of lamb or an all-natural Frenched chicken breast.

Chef Wallace said one of the keystones of the menu is a Snake River Farms kobe "Manhattan" steak. What, you ask, is a Manhattan steak? It's a smaller version of the more familiar New York strip steak that Chef Wallace said has proven to be popular.

All of the steaks are wet-aged and marinated in a mixture of rosemary, olive oil, garlic and smoked sea salt before they are grilled. "We like to cook ours a little slower than some others," Chef Wallace said.

If this all sounds like one of those expensive steakhouses, it should. But one thing is different from those places, the price. The most expensive thing on the menu is the Manhattan steak that sells for $39.95 but most of the entrees are right at $30.

The side dish offerings will be familiar to anybody who has dined at a high-end steakhouse, but a twist. You can order baked or loaded potatoes, truffle mac and cheese, cheese grits or local Swiss chard (among other things) to go along with your steak. Sides are only $4.95 each.

For those in the party who may want seafood, you can order Dover sole that is prepared tableside in the traditional fashion or lobster with drawn butter.

All of this in addition to an elaborate offerings of salads, including their signature Magnolia Salad. It is made with local satssumas, Bibb lettuce and micro greens from the local MARC and cheese from Belle Chevre near Birmingham. It's a truly local salad.

Best of all, it is served in the stately surroundings of the historic Grand Hotel , which is reason enough to pay a visit. It is not, however, destination dining in the truest sense of the word. It's close enough to enjoy anytime.

"Come on and make a night of it," Chef Wallace said. Check out the Saltwater Grill's menu, as well as the new steakhouse menu.